Endless waits must end

We’ve all taken for granted that trains need to pass through our towns, temporarily impeding motor vehicle traffic. But when you find yourself sitting inside your truck for 15 minutes as a train crawls by, the tolerance threshold is broken.

Virtually all residents have experienced this kind of wait at rail crossings, drumming our fingers as they fret over the appointment we are about to miss or their children to be picked up from school. Then just as the train seems to have almost cleared the way, it goes in reverse!

Missed appointments and impatient drivers are the least of it. What about the emergency vehicles that need to attend to emergencies such as house fires, heart-attack victims and armed robberies? It is especially troublesome considering that many people in need of medical care have to be transported out of Whitecourt. Helicopters rides are too expensive to be relied on all the time. Keeping the roads clear is essential.

Of course, the flip side is that local industry relies on the railways to conduct business. If harsh regulations get put in place, some companies might be less inclined to set up shop in the region. This concern is only amplified given the economic downturn.

Regulations are important to keep companies in line, preventing mistakes and inconveniences that might take the free market too long to address. Their drafting and implementation just requires a balanced approach to ensure local industry isn’t needlessly impeded.

Yellowhead MP Jim Eglinski recently spoke out regarding the wait times at railway crossings and seeks legislative action, which is a good first step towards achieving substantial results.

However, residents must also raise their voices if they want to see progress on this issue. A simple phone call to a local official or CN Railway can go a long way. Recently, the provincial government announced that Mayerthorpe would be getting traffic lights at its accident-prone intersection. It took far too long but likely wouldn’t have been possible at all if residents and motorists hadn’t complained on a regular basis. The squeaky wheel clearly gets the grease.

Whiteocourt Town Council also plans to have CN appear before it within three to six months regarding wait times at railway crossings. With notoriously low attendance rates, that meeting is likely to go completely under the radar. It doesn’t have to be this way. Council meetings are open to the public and a superb place to learn about community issues as well as engage elected officials about legitimate concerns.

It’s important to note that CN is not the enemy. They likely have their own obligations and restrictions that require them to use the railway so extensively. What needs to happen is for residents to calmly but persistently express their needs to CN and attempt to reach some sort of compromise. How much compromise will be required is hard to determine.